WINTER 2021 | TCBUSINESS.COM
TREASURE COAST BUSINESSES COPE WITH
A DECREASE IN TOURISM DOLLARS
Treasure Coast tourism plunged once
COVID-19 struck in mid-March of last year, but
the valley was not as deep as feared. Regional
tourism officials say a rising public confidence
in safe travel already has started a recovery.
From March through October, tourism as
measured by collections of the bed tax placed
on lodging in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee
and St. Lucie counties fell 23%, at $5 million,
from the same period in 2019.
It has been mostly bad news for tourism but
there are solid reasons to be both relieved and
hopeful, tourism officials and some business
owners said.
Tourism is the third-largest industry on the
Treasure Coast based on employee count, behind
only health and social services, and retail
trade. Visitors to the region spent more than
$1.8 billion annually before virus-affected 2020.
Tourism activity did not drop as sharply here
as in areas that attract the most visitors such
as central Florida, home to Disney World and
other family theme parks, or the larger coastal
metro areas of the state. The Treasure Coast is
less reliant on international and Canadian visitors
as are other parts of Florida, and the area’s
primary attractions including the beaches,
boating, fishing, and golf can be experienced
in the relative safety of the outdoors.
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This issue of Treasure Coast Business is
produced through a unique partnership
between Indian River Magazine Inc. and
the Florida Small Business Development
Center at Indian River State College.
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FOR SPECIALIZED TECHNICAL CAREERS
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PAGE 26
Shown at night, the pool area of the Marriott Hutchinson Island Beach Resort in Stuart looks inviting, but despite
its allure, the resort, the largest on the Treasure Coast, saw its numbers decline during the pandemic.
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